Can I report a church? Who to?

[BlueSquirrelTurnip]

I went to a new church yesterday with my kids and I was very upset by the message.
The whole sermon was based around giving (money) - specifically giving MORE than you can afford.

The church want to fundraise for a brand new building. And the vicar said - “don’t just give what you can afford. That’s not spirituality challenging. You need to give more than that.”

He also said something like: “if you are struggling for money, then you should give money to the church. God will bless you abundantly and you will get more money back.”

Aside from the liturgical arguments with the above (big eyeroll from this lapsed Catholic/sometime Anglican), I’m furious that in a cost of living crisis so much pressure was being put on people to give more money than they can afford . And all just for a church building! (If it had been for food for the hungry, I might have been slightly more understanding)

I want to do something. Can anyone think of what I can do? Is there someone I can complain to about this?

Thieving not thriving , but I’m guessing the bastards are thriving..

Contact the local newspaper. Ensure you mention the 'cost of living'/inflation crisis etc and see if they might cover a story on it.

Why won't you say what church it is?

I agree with this. It's a distortion of the Christian message

That said, I can't imagine "reporting" it will do any good unless you witnessed any actual coersion

My grandad and my mum died within 3 weeks of each other and I discovered when I was completing the probate stuff that they had both been swindled out of thousands by this fucking chancer that went to their church. I looked into it more and they were not the first people he’d exploited.
I reported it to the vicar who did not give a shit ‘they lent it of their own free Will’ were his words. Told the bishops office - same. So corrupt.

Thanks for the ideas. I think it’s Evangelical Alliance church. I’ve been to lots of Anglican and Catholic Churches over the year, but never heard this sort of teaching before. I will think about local paper, but feels awkward. School Mums go there! And they’re all so nice. Awkward.

I'm betting it's Kings Church

So sorry to hear this, very sad

Sorry, that was in response to Besthaveanamechange

I personally wouldn't bother with contacting local paper or local radio (or putting anything on social media), for two reasons:

• As you say, would cause awkwardness with families you know who go.

• It's not actually illegal. They could justifiably say it's a point of faith within their type of church. It's a bit like ministers coming out with 'God says...' or words of 'prophecy' from God. You and I might think it's fake and manipulative, but they will say it's part of their faith. It's probably protected under the Equality Act as religious belief, so it's not actually illegal. You'd need to have evidence of actual criminal or demonstrably abusive behaviour for it to become a story. Local journalists wouldn't touch it.

The moral: don't go to that church – find one that's more mainstream.

He is a doing a huge mess up of various topics. LOL, even if you complain, to who? The church of England are billionaires, they have pensions for their vicars and billions in invested money in all sorts of businesses.

1. He has messed up the message about giving money for ministry, which is our duty as believers. - this should be from the heart, read all Paul's epistles to understand how much....this is not important, but that comes from the heart and no, Paul says the opposite: that one should give so the other has but we have also
2. This vicar is using prosperity gospel heresy type of preaching. God's Word never guarantees how much the return in money will be. There are Scriptures that when we give , we will receive three time or more the measure we give, but this is not exactly verse about money, but about studying God's word
3. Sowing and reaping. Do not give with hatred because someone harrassed you from a pulpit, God won't like it and you will reap more uneasy feelings towards churches
4. The Philppians were poor and gave as much they could for the church in Jerusalem. Paul never told them how much, he asked churches for donations but in a more general and convincing way, rather than what this vicar said.
5. Church buildings in the UK are very expensive, actually they cost about a million to repair, rebuild, build, etc.....
6. Don't be offended, it is just a silly messed up chap who does not know well his theology. Stay there and use their kids facilities and if you still dislike him, go to a non denominational free evangelical church - they are awesome. I go to one and noone ever asked me for money. But someone last year left them few millions in a will. God works best when we just trust Him.

https://www.openbible.info/topics/giving_money

this is my most favourite one:

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV / 568 helpful votes Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Stuff awkward, it's exploitation of people looking for comfort and faith.

And as for school mums, why? Because they always have gone or because if school?

I help with various bits at a rural church here, Scotland, small local authority school. One other mum helps. Both of us have parents or grandparents it's important to.

** https://www.eauk.org/contact-uss*

^ contact page for Evangelical Alliance.

Sounds like standard prosperity gospel teaching.

An (American) example from a televangelist. "I hear God saying to me there is a single mother watching. She has only a hundred dollars left from her welfare check, but God is telling her to plant that seed in the kingdom of heaven and soon she will be overflowing with riches, because of her faithfulness."

The preachers live in mansions and have private planes, "because God has blessed them."

Standard.

That's why millions have turned away from the church.

Report them to god?

Say which denomination they are.

We can probably tell you if it's the "norm" for their group or if its worth going further up the tree.

An ELIM type church?

Don't go. Don't encourage.
You could write to your local Bishop for information.

Churches are like this all over the world. Horrible exploitation of the poor. I’m not surprised.

My money (pun intended) is on it being a vineyard church.

Just steer clear. They sound totally evil frankly. That solves things for you - it sounds as though you have the wit to see through them. But if you want to prevent people from getting sucked into this then go to the papers. No good will come of reporting to their hierarchy as they will all be equally bats.

Here's a thought for you. If you believe in a god then worship through kindness to others and steer clear of churches - all of which have their deep flaws.

Can you go to the press (thinking local paper type thing)?

@Reallybadidea see I wondered vineyard at the size of the number of churches but they really didn't used to encourage you to give more than you could.... and I expect their leadership would be interested to hear if that was being taught?

They used to distance themselves from m prosperity gospel type charismatic.